Image searching device, method and recording medium

1. An image searching device, comprising: a database configured to store two-dimensional full images of models, each model including multiple parts, highlighted full images in which a part is highlighted, single images of each part, each part being created based on a three-dimensional image of the model, and boundary data for each part; a user interface having a graphical user interface function; a search unit configured to search for a single image of a part and a highlighted full image through the database in accordance with search criteria specified through the user interface; and an output unit configured to output search results from the search unit, wherein the search unit comprises: a data management unit configured to manage data on a model to be searched and acquired from the database and create an image to be displayed on a screen of the user interface in accordance with first search criteria input through the user interface; a determination unit configured to determine and extract parts each having a boundary included in a closed region as candidate parts by comparing the closed region specified using a pointer in a full image of the entire model to be searched and displayed on the screen of the user interface with boundary data for each part of the model to be searched in accordance with second search criteria; a part selection unit configured to display single images of the candidate parts extracted by the determination unit on the screen of the user interface to receive third search criteria for selecting a target part from the candidate parts displayed on the screen; and an image switching unit configured to create data on a part emphasis frame to be added to the target part in the full image with highlights displayed on the screen based on the boundary data of the target part, and switch the screen displayed on the user interface from the single images of the candidate parts to a full image in which the target part is highlighted with the part emphasis frame.

2. The image searching device according to claim 1 , wherein the image switching unit comprises a calculation unit configured to calculate a shape of a frame including the boundary data of the target part to create data on the part emphasis frame.

3. The image searching device according to claim 1 , wherein the two-dimensional full images of models, single images of each part, and highlighted full images stored in the database are displayed from multiple viewpoints at multiple zoom levels, and the data management unit creates a single image and a full image with highlights displayed on the screen of the user interface in accordance with a viewpoint and a zoom level specified through the user interface.

4. An image searching method, comprising: storing two-dimensional full images of models, each model including multiple parts, highlighted full images in which a part is highlighted, single images of each part, each part is created based on a three-dimensional image of the model, and boundary data for each part in a database; and searching for a single image of a part and a highlighted full image stored in the database in accordance with search criteria specified by the database through a user interface having a graphical user interface function, wherein the searching comprises: managing data on a model to be searched and acquired from the database to create an image to be displayed on a screen of the user interface in accordance with first search criteria input through the user interface; determining and extracting parts each having a boundary included in a closed region as candidate parts by comparing the closed region specified using a pointer in a full image of the entire model to be searched and displayed on the screen of the user interface with boundary data for each part of the model to be searched in accordance with second search criteria; selecting a target part from the candidate parts by displaying single images of the candidate parts extracted by the determining on the screen of the user interface to receive third search criteria; and switching the screen displayed on the user interface from the single images of the candidate parts to a full image in which the target part is highlighted with a part emphasis frame created based on the boundary data of the target part.

5. The image searching method according to claim 4 , wherein the switching comprises calculating a shape of a frame including the boundary data of the target part to create data on the part emphasis frame.

6. The image searching method according to claim 4 , wherein the two-dimensional full images of models, single images of each part, and highlighted full images stored in the database are displayed from multiple viewpoints at multiple zoom levels, and the managing comprises creating a single image and a full image with highlights displayed on the screen of the user interface in accordance with a viewpoint and a zoom level specified through the user interface.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recording a program for causing a computer to function as the search unit of the image searching device according to claim 1 .